I actually drafted this post about a year ago and have absolutely forgotten to publish it. Or maybe I decided not to because I couldn’t take proper or good quality outfit posts (I cannot post for the life of me and I have body positivity issues after giving birth to 2 boys). I decied to publish this because I bought another Strathberry bag and I would like to do a comparison in that post.
Where I got it
If you follow have been following the royals (Duchess of Sussex – Meghan Markle), you should know this brand by now. I personally wasn’t really following her fashion picks, but ever since watching Inthefrow’s collaboration launch with Strathberry, I got interested in the brand because their style is so chic, elegant and beautiful. I loved the East West style in the normal size because you can fit quite a few things in there.
I decided to get this colour Burgundy because I was in a toss between the Bottle Green and this one, but I think my clothes would suit this colour more. They do have multi-colour shades too, which are beautiful, but slightly more expensive. This style was £495 (USD$700) when I bought it (Jan-2019), which comes to NZD$1092.84 at the exchange rates.
Thank you card
Packaging and shipping
The shipping was quite fast (it was not held at customs and I did not have to pay duties as I did with my Valentino heels). I ordered it on 29/12/18 and it arrived in my hands on 7/1/19. Shipping was free for orders over £200, so I had free shipping. The box came in a FedEx courier packaging, and inside is the actual Strathberry black box with paper wrapping. You get the cotton dust bag as well as another protective bag to protect it.
The bag itself has scrunched up paper inside to hold it’s shape and wrapping around the chain. The bag is in immaculate condition, no marks, spots or scratches at all. The internal lining is clean and perfect, the chain is smooth and no kinks. Generally very happy with the state of the bag and how well it is protected. I have been keeping it in its dust bag and box at the moment because I don’t use it often and I don’t have a space to display it without gathering dust.
Dust bag
Inner protective bag
Strathberry East West cross body bag in Burgundy
Interior details
Chain strap
The gold chain slips in and out of the holes really smoothly and easily, therefore it is easy to change the strap length. I like to wear it with the chain long like a crossbody bag when I’m out and about wanting my hands free. But when it’s more formal and I like to hang it on my forearm, I double up the chain and make it shorter so I can also put it on my shoulders.
Chain in full length
Front of the bag
Body of the bag
There aren’t any studs at the bottom to protect the bottom of the bag if you put it down, but the shape of the bottom of the bag pretty much lifts the majority of the bag away from the bottom anyway.
In terms of the closure of the bag. First of all, there is a hidden magnet just above the Strathberry logo behind the front flap. As you slide the flap down between the bar and the bag, the magnet clicks on and it is relatively secure. I usually go for a bag with a zip, or like a turn-lock clasp because I don’t like the thought of my bag getting accessed easily by my kids or potential thief. The closure design for this bag is easy to access for me, but at the same time, I would absolutely know when someone tries to open it.
Bottom of the bag
Back of the bag
Magnetic closure
Internal space
The bag itself does have a bit of thickness to it and it is really sturdy and firm. I can put my little card/coin purse (I don’t use a wallet) in, my iPhone Xr, my car keys and remote, lip balm, lipstick, and there is still heaps of space left. There are no zipped pockets inside, only a thin pocket where the logo is. There is also the serial number tag inside the pocket. This pocket is rather thin, so I would only put things like receipt or 1-2 cards in there or hair clips, etc.
There is one divider to separate your belongings. I usually put my coin purse, keys and maybe a pen on one side, and the other side would be my lip balm, lip gloss, lipstick, mirror, etc. They all fit inside neatly and is very easy to access because the opening is wide and you don’t have to search around or force open the bag to get your items.
Interior lining
Inner pocket
Pairings
This bag is so sophisticated and chic IMO that it suits either a dressy dress or jeans with a blazer or a proper suit. I love how structured the bag is so that you can wear it and feel so chic and luxurious. The colour is just perfect for most of my pieces in the wardrobe. I like to wear this as a shoulder bag when I’m out for a nice dinner with the straps doubled up so it’s shorter. When I’m wearing this during the day with the kids, I wear it on one chain and crossbody so my hands are free. I have a little tip with using the bag on a long chain – bring the chain up from the holes that are further away from you so that when you open the top flap, the chain under the flap is not preventing you to open the flap. Sorry if I don’t make any sense, but if you have the bag, you can try it yourself.
